dolewhipsmickeybars
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2018
Hey everyone! This report has been sitting here for awhile and I decided to post it. It's from my girlfriend and I's trip to the Walt Disney World resort in January! It wasn't a typical trip and I hope you guys enjoy it! It's long, but there's a reason for that lol.
January 24-Travel Day!
After months and months of planning and anticipation we made our return to Disney! We were so excited. We left at around 2:30 pm CST and arrived around 5:30 pm EST. Our hotel was Coronado Springs. One of our favorite hotels and one we got at an amazingly great deal on. Before we left we had planned to go to Disney Springs but circumstances and the time we arrived just made us want to stay at the hotel. We ate at the Pepper Market and hung out in the room. A very uneventful day!
January 25-Epcot!!!! Or maybe not?
As we always do (due to Extra Magic Hours) we decided to to Epcot on Thursday and experience the Festival of the Arts for the first time. It was a cold day. We left the room at about 7:20 and went to the bus stop. Here's where the day and basically the trip went completely wonky. I had noticed the ground was slick outside our room when we walked to the bus stop. In fact I almost slipped. While we were walking the sprinklers came on. Obviously I didn't think anything of this. I had been battling a bad cold prior to the trip and while I was getting better I still was taking Day Quil just to make sure my strength was up. While at the bus stop I remembered I left my pills in the room. So at 7:30 I walked back to the room...very slowly. Only because I remembered my issue when I left the room. Sure enough, my left foot hit a wet spot slipped out from under me and down I went. I fell knee first into the concrete and looked down and instantly knew I had broken my leg. I screamed and called my girlfriend and she came running. She called 911 and then the front desk to let them know what happened. Shortly after a very nice couple came and helped get a pillow under my head and a blanket to cover me (all while my girlfriend was on the phone calling these places) and stayed with me until the hotel manager and safety guy came. Many pictures were taken and then the ambulance came. They worked on getting my leg stable. Another ambulance came (I'm a big guy so they needed 4 guys to lift me) and off to the hospital I went. I spent the majority of the day in hospital and is was determined I hate broken my kneecap. Much fun, much fun! I'll explain later some things but really, the manager(s) at Coronado Springs really worked to make sure I was happy. When I was on the ground they offered to book us flights home and rebook our trip for when I'm healthy. We had already taken days off and stuff so we decided to try and enjoy the trip. Well, they rented me a scooter and also upgraded us to a handicap accessible suite at the front of the hotel. Very nice room and it was nice not being so far away from the main building. Obviously after all of this I just wanted to lay in bed. My leg was in a huge brace. The most eventful day I've EVER had at Disney....and I wasn't even having fun.
Friday-Magic Kingdom!
You heard me right. We went to Magic Kingdom. After all the stuff of the previous day we decided that we were going to wake up when we wanted and get to parks whenever and just enjoy whatever we can for as long as we can. So we got to Magic Kingdom and we had fun. Because of my situation going on rides was not going to happen. So, we did things we don't normally do. We went to hall of presidents, did the Enchanted Tiki Room we watched the Muppet show and had a great spot for the parade! We at at Cosmic Rays and enjoyed moving around the park. Obviously I was on pills and making it all day was not an option. After 3 or 4 hours I was done and we went back to the hotel. Had dinner there and decided to live to fight another day.
Saturday-Disney Springs and our special breakfast
Saturdays are always our off day. We don't do parks. We always go to 1900 Park Fare and this was no different. We went, met the characters and had a lot of fun and a very good breakfast. Thankfully the duty manager at Coronado worked it out with 1900 Park Fare because we were gonna be late. Getting me ready in the morning was no easy job. When we got there it was a big deal. They knew who we were and everything. It was a nice morning. Again, I wasn't going to let this ruin my trip! Later that afternoon we went to Disney Springs and enjoyed our time there. My girlfriend got a new Alex and Ani bracelet which made her very happy. We went to Coca Cola World. And ultimately we ended up at Morimoto Asia for dinner. As with every restaurant this trip it was a hassle finding a table where I was out of the way and could sit in my scooter. But every restaurant worked it out and Morimotos was no different. I enjoyed my orange chicken and after a quick stop at Amorettes Patisserie we went back to the hotel.
Sunday-Epcot Finally!
Remember on Thursday we were excited for Epcot? Well, we finally went Sunday. It was a rainy day so we didn't stay that long. We enjoyed the the Artsy stuff around World Showcase, ate some great food and headed back to the hotel in the pouring rain. Not the day we wanted at Epcot but it was nice to go and see what was going on. We'll definitely go back next year to see the Festival of the Arts and enjoy it for all it has to offer. Oh and this was the park where I got to ride the 1 ride I could ride during the trip!! I road Journey into the Imagination because I didn't have to leave my scooter
Yup 1 ride and it was Figment.
Monday-Taking Care of Real Life and Disney Springs
We knew there was going to be a day when we had to deal with the fact that I had broken my leg at Disney. We decided to take Monday off so we could make all the phone calls we needed to make. Talking to Disney, calling my work, finding an orthopedist for when we got home, etc. It was a long morning but everything got taken care of. After all of that we decided to go to Disney Springs. Mainly because we wanted to do something! We went to World of Disney and spent most of our time in the Marketplace. We ended up going to Wolfgang Puck Express which is one of our favorites and having a nice dinner. Then it was back to the hotel.
Tuesday-Magic Kingdom and Travel Home
For our last day at Disney we did what we always do. Head to Magic Kingdom! Always gotta see the castle one more time before we leave. We ate lunch at Columbia Harbour House and just enjoyed the park. Again, we were leaving so we didn't have a ton of time at the park. It was mainly just strolling around and picking up whatever we forgot to pick up that we wanted. We said goodbye to the castle and headed back to the hotel.
Now, I'll write about the trip home because...well yea. The duty manager (again he was amazing this whole trip and after) arranged for a cab to take us to the airport because it would have been a hassle to do Magical Express. Now, I had broken my kneecap so I had to keep my leg straight. It was in a huge brace. I'm on crutches and (because we're idiots I guess) thought Southwest might be smart and have wheelchairs with leg supports. Nope. Not one wheelchair with a leg support. So I had to crutch around MCO. We got to the terminal and finally another company let us use one of their wheelchairs. I was LIGHTING UP Southwest throughout this whole thing. They told me to talk to a Southwest Agent at the airport. I told them Southwest at the airport told us they couldn't help. Trust me it was not a good time. So, thankfully we got a wheelchair that worked basically when we got to the gate. The one time things worked out of me basically the whole trip was the flight. The plane had 29 open seats!! And because I was injured I got on the plane first. I was able to got my own row so I could rest my leg on the seats. People didn't like it (I had my leg covered) and were commenting that we were saving seats, etc. Whatever. We arrived at Nashville after a very nice flight and Southwest was there to pick me up. Oh yea, I can't use their wheelchairs. It's late and I'm cranky and I'm tired and I'm not very nice. I had a lady from Southwest who didn't speak much english basically ask me 10 times why I don't just bend my leg and sit in the chair. Ultimately I ended up sitting in the chair and holding my leg up with one of my crutches. Not fun at all. That's where I'll end this. We got outside where a whole new set of challenges awaited us the rest of the night.
Sorry if this isn't the best report but honestly, we didn't do anything of note. After I broke my knee on the first day the rest of the trip was what it was. A trip we tried to get the best from but ultimately sucked overall. I BROKE MY LEG AT DISNEY!!! Trust me, I said that to myself and everyone around me 100 times after we got home. I just couldn't believe it. There are things you think could happen and this never would have crossed my mind. I had surgery 2 months ago and the surgeon said it was one of the worst kneecap breaks he's ever seen. It was shattered. Needless to say my recovery was put at 8-12 weeks and I'm out of work and stuck in bed for the majority of that time. I still am not able to put weight on my leg. Hopefully Thursday that changes. Its looking like sometime in June I'll be able to head back to work which will leave me out of work for over 4 months.
I wanted to add 1 thing to this. Disney has been truly amazing since the moment this happened. The duty manager and the other managers at Coronado were willing to do whatever we needed. From getting me clothes that would go over my brace to getting us drinks and other things for the room. If we were greedy we probably could have got anything in the parks we wanted. I was famous on property. Every time someone in a suit asked me what happened to my leg (at a park or other hotel) they knew who I was right after I started talking. Apparently this was a fairly big deal and there was a big email sent out. After I left Disney, the people there still continue to be amazing and I know will be through the rest of this process. I hear from them multiple times a week and they send random goodies just to try and make me feel a bit better.
Thanks for reading!!!
January 24-Travel Day!
After months and months of planning and anticipation we made our return to Disney! We were so excited. We left at around 2:30 pm CST and arrived around 5:30 pm EST. Our hotel was Coronado Springs. One of our favorite hotels and one we got at an amazingly great deal on. Before we left we had planned to go to Disney Springs but circumstances and the time we arrived just made us want to stay at the hotel. We ate at the Pepper Market and hung out in the room. A very uneventful day!
January 25-Epcot!!!! Or maybe not?
As we always do (due to Extra Magic Hours) we decided to to Epcot on Thursday and experience the Festival of the Arts for the first time. It was a cold day. We left the room at about 7:20 and went to the bus stop. Here's where the day and basically the trip went completely wonky. I had noticed the ground was slick outside our room when we walked to the bus stop. In fact I almost slipped. While we were walking the sprinklers came on. Obviously I didn't think anything of this. I had been battling a bad cold prior to the trip and while I was getting better I still was taking Day Quil just to make sure my strength was up. While at the bus stop I remembered I left my pills in the room. So at 7:30 I walked back to the room...very slowly. Only because I remembered my issue when I left the room. Sure enough, my left foot hit a wet spot slipped out from under me and down I went. I fell knee first into the concrete and looked down and instantly knew I had broken my leg. I screamed and called my girlfriend and she came running. She called 911 and then the front desk to let them know what happened. Shortly after a very nice couple came and helped get a pillow under my head and a blanket to cover me (all while my girlfriend was on the phone calling these places) and stayed with me until the hotel manager and safety guy came. Many pictures were taken and then the ambulance came. They worked on getting my leg stable. Another ambulance came (I'm a big guy so they needed 4 guys to lift me) and off to the hospital I went. I spent the majority of the day in hospital and is was determined I hate broken my kneecap. Much fun, much fun! I'll explain later some things but really, the manager(s) at Coronado Springs really worked to make sure I was happy. When I was on the ground they offered to book us flights home and rebook our trip for when I'm healthy. We had already taken days off and stuff so we decided to try and enjoy the trip. Well, they rented me a scooter and also upgraded us to a handicap accessible suite at the front of the hotel. Very nice room and it was nice not being so far away from the main building. Obviously after all of this I just wanted to lay in bed. My leg was in a huge brace. The most eventful day I've EVER had at Disney....and I wasn't even having fun.
Friday-Magic Kingdom!
You heard me right. We went to Magic Kingdom. After all the stuff of the previous day we decided that we were going to wake up when we wanted and get to parks whenever and just enjoy whatever we can for as long as we can. So we got to Magic Kingdom and we had fun. Because of my situation going on rides was not going to happen. So, we did things we don't normally do. We went to hall of presidents, did the Enchanted Tiki Room we watched the Muppet show and had a great spot for the parade! We at at Cosmic Rays and enjoyed moving around the park. Obviously I was on pills and making it all day was not an option. After 3 or 4 hours I was done and we went back to the hotel. Had dinner there and decided to live to fight another day.
Saturday-Disney Springs and our special breakfast
Saturdays are always our off day. We don't do parks. We always go to 1900 Park Fare and this was no different. We went, met the characters and had a lot of fun and a very good breakfast. Thankfully the duty manager at Coronado worked it out with 1900 Park Fare because we were gonna be late. Getting me ready in the morning was no easy job. When we got there it was a big deal. They knew who we were and everything. It was a nice morning. Again, I wasn't going to let this ruin my trip! Later that afternoon we went to Disney Springs and enjoyed our time there. My girlfriend got a new Alex and Ani bracelet which made her very happy. We went to Coca Cola World. And ultimately we ended up at Morimoto Asia for dinner. As with every restaurant this trip it was a hassle finding a table where I was out of the way and could sit in my scooter. But every restaurant worked it out and Morimotos was no different. I enjoyed my orange chicken and after a quick stop at Amorettes Patisserie we went back to the hotel.
Sunday-Epcot Finally!
Remember on Thursday we were excited for Epcot? Well, we finally went Sunday. It was a rainy day so we didn't stay that long. We enjoyed the the Artsy stuff around World Showcase, ate some great food and headed back to the hotel in the pouring rain. Not the day we wanted at Epcot but it was nice to go and see what was going on. We'll definitely go back next year to see the Festival of the Arts and enjoy it for all it has to offer. Oh and this was the park where I got to ride the 1 ride I could ride during the trip!! I road Journey into the Imagination because I didn't have to leave my scooter
Monday-Taking Care of Real Life and Disney Springs
We knew there was going to be a day when we had to deal with the fact that I had broken my leg at Disney. We decided to take Monday off so we could make all the phone calls we needed to make. Talking to Disney, calling my work, finding an orthopedist for when we got home, etc. It was a long morning but everything got taken care of. After all of that we decided to go to Disney Springs. Mainly because we wanted to do something! We went to World of Disney and spent most of our time in the Marketplace. We ended up going to Wolfgang Puck Express which is one of our favorites and having a nice dinner. Then it was back to the hotel.
Tuesday-Magic Kingdom and Travel Home
For our last day at Disney we did what we always do. Head to Magic Kingdom! Always gotta see the castle one more time before we leave. We ate lunch at Columbia Harbour House and just enjoyed the park. Again, we were leaving so we didn't have a ton of time at the park. It was mainly just strolling around and picking up whatever we forgot to pick up that we wanted. We said goodbye to the castle and headed back to the hotel.
Now, I'll write about the trip home because...well yea. The duty manager (again he was amazing this whole trip and after) arranged for a cab to take us to the airport because it would have been a hassle to do Magical Express. Now, I had broken my kneecap so I had to keep my leg straight. It was in a huge brace. I'm on crutches and (because we're idiots I guess) thought Southwest might be smart and have wheelchairs with leg supports. Nope. Not one wheelchair with a leg support. So I had to crutch around MCO. We got to the terminal and finally another company let us use one of their wheelchairs. I was LIGHTING UP Southwest throughout this whole thing. They told me to talk to a Southwest Agent at the airport. I told them Southwest at the airport told us they couldn't help. Trust me it was not a good time. So, thankfully we got a wheelchair that worked basically when we got to the gate. The one time things worked out of me basically the whole trip was the flight. The plane had 29 open seats!! And because I was injured I got on the plane first. I was able to got my own row so I could rest my leg on the seats. People didn't like it (I had my leg covered) and were commenting that we were saving seats, etc. Whatever. We arrived at Nashville after a very nice flight and Southwest was there to pick me up. Oh yea, I can't use their wheelchairs. It's late and I'm cranky and I'm tired and I'm not very nice. I had a lady from Southwest who didn't speak much english basically ask me 10 times why I don't just bend my leg and sit in the chair. Ultimately I ended up sitting in the chair and holding my leg up with one of my crutches. Not fun at all. That's where I'll end this. We got outside where a whole new set of challenges awaited us the rest of the night.
Sorry if this isn't the best report but honestly, we didn't do anything of note. After I broke my knee on the first day the rest of the trip was what it was. A trip we tried to get the best from but ultimately sucked overall. I BROKE MY LEG AT DISNEY!!! Trust me, I said that to myself and everyone around me 100 times after we got home. I just couldn't believe it. There are things you think could happen and this never would have crossed my mind. I had surgery 2 months ago and the surgeon said it was one of the worst kneecap breaks he's ever seen. It was shattered. Needless to say my recovery was put at 8-12 weeks and I'm out of work and stuck in bed for the majority of that time. I still am not able to put weight on my leg. Hopefully Thursday that changes. Its looking like sometime in June I'll be able to head back to work which will leave me out of work for over 4 months.
I wanted to add 1 thing to this. Disney has been truly amazing since the moment this happened. The duty manager and the other managers at Coronado were willing to do whatever we needed. From getting me clothes that would go over my brace to getting us drinks and other things for the room. If we were greedy we probably could have got anything in the parks we wanted. I was famous on property. Every time someone in a suit asked me what happened to my leg (at a park or other hotel) they knew who I was right after I started talking. Apparently this was a fairly big deal and there was a big email sent out. After I left Disney, the people there still continue to be amazing and I know will be through the rest of this process. I hear from them multiple times a week and they send random goodies just to try and make me feel a bit better.
Thanks for reading!!!
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If so who do you see...mine moved out of state and have not really got around to finding a new one....and glad to hear all seems to be progressing.
